Centrifugal clothes drier



Aug. 19, 1930. P. E. GELDHOF CENTRIFUGAL CLOTHES DRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 19. 1926 14'/ TNEss Aug. 19, 1930. p, E] GLDHOF 1,773,710

CENTRIFUGAL CLOTHES DRIER Filed. Oct. 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 OOO@ O O O G G C) 0G00@ 00000 O O O OOOOKDKXOG @GOOG O OO O O G O0(D(0(l (D090 OO O O O 0000000 @CD00 G O C) O O @000000 CD00@ OO G O (D O@ (1)00 O O O C) GOOG@ 000)@ OO O O O G @@00000 @OOO O O O 00000000 CDCDOO O O G O OGCOOMDQG (1)0000 O G O @000(0000 (DGOOOO O O 00000060 @CDOOO O C) OOGOGXOGO @CD00 O O C) O 00000000 (D000 OO G O OOGOGMOQO @CD00 O O C) O O O 00(0@00 (DGOO O O G O O OCOGMOQO OCDOO O O O O O O00@ Q O O O OO INVENTOR.

WITNESS ATT NEYS.

Aug. 19, 1930. P. E. GELDHOF CENTRIFUGAL CLOTHES DRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \V///////////lf/ -5 INVENTOR. p@

ATTORNEYS,

Filed Oct. 19, 1926 Patented Aug. 19, 1930 STATES PETER E. GELDHOF, OF SYRACUSE,

, MACHINE CORPORATION, F SYRACUS WARE NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SYRACUSE WASHING E, NEW.YORK, A CORPORATION 0F DELA- CENTRIFUGAL CLOTHES DRIER Applicationiled October 19, 1926. Serial No. 142,594. K

This invention relates to a centrifugal clothes drier of the motor driven type in which the clothes container is rotatably mounted within a suitable casing having a movable cover upon which an electric motor is mounted and operatively connected to the container for rotating the same andthereby 'expelling the moisture from the clothes by centrifugal force.

These machines are preferably used in connection with clothes washing and rinsing vats in such nanner thatthe wet clothes from the v vat may be drawn therefrom by hand and deposited directly into the rotary container or they may containerand deposited directly into the same orvany other vat or receptacle without dripping of the water from the clothes on to the ioor.

Heretofore one of the most serious objections to the use of rotary centrifugal containers of. this type has been the excessive y vibration'produced by excessive mass weight of the clothes `eccentric to thevaxis of rotation vand in order to reduce this excessive vibration it has been necessary to arrange the clothes by hand so as to distribute the mass weight more evenly around said axis.

Furthermore, as heretofore practiced it has been deemed necessary 'to make the rotary container of considerably greater diameter than vertical height so as to obtain the desired capacity and centrifugal throw of obvious that the vibration of the machine due to the unbalancing ofthe load therein, increases with the increased diameter of the container thereby aggravating the objection above referred to.

One of the specific objects of the present invention is to construct and support the rotary container in such manner that the clothes may be deposited promiscuously therein without regard to the balancing of the' mass by redistribution and Without producing excessive vibration of the machine and at the same time to expedite the drying operation and thereby greatly increase the out-put of the work for a given period of time.

In other words, I have sought to avoid the be withdrawn by hand from thel '.cupon'the cover vfor the water from the clothes but it is, of course,

excessive vibration by reducing the diameter and increasing the vertical depth of the container whereby the mass of clothes when promiscuously arranged therein will be brought closer to the axis of rotation While the increased vertical depth maintains the desired capacity, it being understood that the closer the mass is brought'to said axis the less Will be'the vibration of themachine during the rotation of the container.

Another object -is to support the container upon vertically spaced journal bearings which maintain their co-axiality with each other and with the axis of the container as the latter is rotated and at the same time to maintain an unobstructed interior capacity throughout the entire interior height and diameter of the container for the free distribution of the clothes therein and expres- -sion of the water therefrom by centrifugal force. ,l

Anotherlobject is to mount the entire power plant including the motor and driving connectins between the motor and container the casing soas to move with the cover as the latter is opened and closed.

A further Objectis to operate the motor controlling switch and a suitable brake mechanism by one and the same operating member whereby one movement of'said memberl in .one direction will release the brake I while another movement of the same member will cause the switch to open and simultaneously apply the brake for stopping the motor and container driven thereby.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the invention will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

. Figure 1 is clothes drier embodying the various features of theinvention showing adjacent 4portions of the washing machine to which the centrifugal drier is attached, a'portion of the gear case between the motor and container being broken away andthe cover therefor removed.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 2 2, Figure 1, ,showing more4 a top plan of a centrifugal.

particularly the construction of' the motor controlling switch and its operating machanisrn.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure l, showing more particularly the brake mechanism.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view ofthe apparatus taken on line 4 4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a-ftop plan of a modified construction of centrifugal drier inV which the motor is mounted in a vertical position on the cover.

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged detail sectional views taken on lines 6*-6and 7.-'7, respectively, Figure 5, the lower portion of the container and its 'inclosing case being broken .Q v l' The apparatus shown'in Figures 1 to 4 inelusive comprises a horizontal base sectionv -l-. supported at any convient height by one or more legs 2- and upon which is mounted the bottom of an upright cylindrical shell or casing -3`- carrying at its upper end a horizontal shelf -4- which together with the base section -lmay form a part of the main supporting frame for the centrifugal drier and the tub or vat -A- of a clothes `washing machine which is also circular and preferably arrangedin an upright position at one side of the casing -3- in substantially the same'horizontal plane.

The cylindrical shell or casing -3- is closed at the bottom but open at the top to permit the insertion `and lremoval of the wet clothes into and out of a rotary upright cylindricalI container -5- which is rotatably mounted within the shell or casing -3- in a manner hereinafter described.

The top section *1l-f constitutes a drainage shelf which is preferably secured at one end to the upper portion of the periphery of the washing tub or vat nA- and is provided with a central cylindrical opening Gf of substantially the same diameter as the interior 4diameter of the casing .-3- and co-aXial therewith, said shelf or section -4- being provided in its underside with an annular groove `7-`in which the rim at the upper end of the casing -3- is seated, or rather to permit the shelf- -4- to be seated upon the upper marginal edge of the casing 3b to form a water-tight joint therewith.

' ange -12- adapted to rest upon an annular bearing on the upper face of the section -4- when the lid is closed, said lid being also provided with an annular vertical flange 12- adapted to engage the walls of the opening -6- when the cover is closed there by cooperating with the fiange -12 to form a substantially Water-tight joint with the section -4-.

An upright rock shaft 13 is journaled in suitable bearings 14- on the lower and upper sections 1- and -4- at the outside of the casing 3f and is provided with an operating member '-15- adjacent the underside of the upper bearing `14 by which it may be turned in its bearings -l4-, the lower end of therock shaft being provided with a 'crank arm -16- which may be connected by any sul able means to a clutch or other device for controlling the operation of the Washing mechanism not shown, or for any other purpose to 'which it may be adapted.

vThe upper end of the rock shaft -13- eX- tends above the bearing 14- and upon this extension is journaled a locking lever -17- adapted to be operated by hand into and out of engagement with a keeper -18- on the adjacent portion of the marginal flange -12 of the cover -8- for locking and releasing said cover in and from its closed position, said hand lever -17- being held against. upward displacement by a nut -13- engaging the upper vend of the rock shaft -13- and also serving to hold the shaft -13'- against downward displacement.

The case L13- is provided with avcentral upwardly projecting post --19-` co-axial therewith and having its upper end provided with a spherical end thrust bearing 20- adapted to engage in a semi-spherical seat -21 on the bottom of the container, -5- for supporting the upper end of the container co-axially with the casing 34.

The container -5- is preferably cylindrical and of sufficiently less diameter than the casing -3- to form an intervening annular chamber 2Q-"- for receiving water which may be expelled from the clothes through the side walls of the container and permitting said water to collect in the bottom of the casing -3-.

This rotary container is preferably closed at thebottom and open at the top and has side walls provided with perforations 23- through which the water from the wet clothes in the container may be expelledby centrifugal force as the container is rotated although it is evident that the side walls of the container may be substituted by any other foraminous material. v

As shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive the cover -8- is provided with an upwardly projecting' extension Q4- having a gear chamber -25- and a motor chamber -26- arranged end to end horizontallyand -separated by an' upright partition -27-,"said tom of the gear chamber -25- co-axial with ginal ed and closing around the axis of the casing -3- and container .-5- and is provided with a removable top'closure -28- to permitaccess to the interior thereof.

The motor chamber -26- is located at one side of the chamber f9.5- and 'is provided with a 4removable outer end closure -29 to permitaccess to the motorparts.

Driving mechanism A motor 30eis mounted upon"and within the chamber #726- and has its pole pieces 3lmounted directly upon the peripheral walls of the adjacent portions of the case *26- while its armature shaft is journaledl gaged with an end-thrust ball-bearing -33- which is held in lplace by an adjusting screw -34- in the outer end of the bearing 32'- .as shown in Figure 4.

The inner end of the armature shaft extends through and beyond the partition -27- i'nto the gear case -25- and is provided at its inner end with a bevel pinion 35 meshing with a relatively larger gear 36 which -is secured to an upright shaft -37- co-axial with the 'axis of the outer casing +3- and rotary container -5- for transmitting rotary motion from the armature shaft to said container in a manner presently described. e

A supplemental lid or closure -38- is rotatably mounted upon the underside of the cover -8 to move therewith into and out of frictional engagement with the upper mare of the container -5- for opening the top ofsaid container as the cover-S- is opened and closed about the axis of its hinge pin -9`-.

An upright tubular bushing 39- is tightly fitted in a suitable opening in thebotthe casing -3 to extend some distance above and below the bottom of the gear cham-y ber and is provided at its lower and upper ends with anti-friction bearings -40 in which the lower and upper ends of the upright shaft -37- are journaled.

That is, the upper 'end of the bushing -39- is shouldered upon the upper surface of the bottom of the gear chamber to hold it against undue downward displacement while its lower end extends through a central opening in the closure 38 for a pur ose presently described.

.. 's closure SST- is journaled by means of anti-friction bearings 41- upon the lower end of the tubular bushing -39- just below the cover -8-f for relative rotation thereon, said bushing forming a part of the cover -8- and having its lower end threaded and engaged by a nut 4Q- which, in turn, serves to clamp the inner section of the anti-friction bearing -41- against the lower end of the hub of the cover -8- to hold'the bearing in place and incidentally to hold the bushing 39 against accidental upward displacement.

An inverted cap section -43- is tightly fitted in a recess in the underside of the central portion of the closure -38- to extend across the loWe end of the shaft 37-, bushing -3'9- and n t 42 for protecting the adjacent bearing from water or -moisture from within the container -5-, said cap section being provided with one or more internal lugs 44- adapted 'to be engaged by a. crank arm 45- which is secured to the lower end of the upright shaft 37 below the lower end of the bushing -39- and wholly within the cap section -43-.

This crank arm -45- and lug -44 on the cap section -43- constitutes a one-way drive connection between the upright shaft connection -37- and closure -38- for the container 5. l .y

The closure '38-'constitutes a friction clutch member adapted to frictionally engage the upper end' of the container -5- for transmitting rotary motion thereto as the and for this purpose the closure -38- is provided with an annularfconical -friction surface -46- movable into and out of engagement with the v The cover section -8 and closure section -384- are suiclently thin and resilient to compensate for any slight wear between the friction surface -46-"- of the section -38- and rim of the container -5- and thereby to assure driving connections between the vrotating section -38- and container when; the sections -8- and -38- are in the closed position, it being understood that when' these sections are opened the driving connection between the cover section -38- and container will be broken to allow the container to remain at rest or to be rotated by hand independently of'the closure -38-if desired as, for example, clothes to and from the container.

. Motor switch and 'brake control vopening of the suitable controlling switch when transferring and also to release the motor and parts driven thereby at about the same time the motor switch is closed and for this purpose is ,provided a motor controlling yswitch -47- and a mechanical brake -48-1, both of which are adapted to be controlled by a single operating lever -49- in a manner presently described.

vThe electricv switch is mounted upon a suitable insulating i block 5G-'- Within a suitable chamber -28- in the one side of the gear case 42%- and comprises a relatively stationary terminal 5l and a self-opening resilient terminal -52- movable into and out of contact with the terminal -51-, said terminals being electrically connected in any well-known manner to the electric motor -30- for closing and opening the motor circuit.

The hand lever V-49- is secured to one end of a cross shaft -53- which extends through and is journaled in opposite side walls of the gear case 2liand has its other end provided with a crank arm -54- for engaging and forcing the yielding terminal -52- into engagement with its companion terminal 5l-,- when the lever -49- is rocked in one direction.

The brake -48- comprises a rotary friction disk 55 secured to and rotating with the inner end of the motor shaft as -30- v to cooperate with a non-rotatable friction plate 56'- which is mounted upon diametrically opposite guide rods 57 on the partit-ion -27- and normally spring-pressed 4toward the disk g55- by coiled springs -58- as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

A pair of bell crank levers 59 are mounted upon a supporting shaft 60T at opposite sides of the friction disk -55-, said bell-crank levers having depending arms 61- adapted 'to engage the outer face of the friction member -56- for moving said member out of engagement with the friction disk 55- against the action of the springs -58-. i

The other arms as -61- of the bell-crank levers -59- are adapted to be engaged by a pair of cams -62- on the shaft 53- so that the movement of-the lever 49- and its cams 62 in one direction will disengage the clutch member '-56'- from its companion -55- against the action of the spring -58- or when the lever 49 is reversed the clutch member 56- will be forced into engagement with its companion -55- by the action of the spring -58-. n

It will be observed that the switch operating arm M and cams 62- are mounted upon the same rock shaft 453- l'which is operated by the lever -49- and that they are relatively arranged to close the motor switch -47- simultaneously with the disengagement of the brake member -56f from itsv companion -55- and reversely to permit the openlng of the switch -47- simultaneously with the engagement of the brake member -56- with its companion -55- thus` assuring the stopping of the motor and parts actuated thereby immediately following the opening of the motor` switch.

The construction shown in Figures 5, 6 and i only allow the entrance of air into the interior of the container as the water is displaced from the center thereof toward the circumferenceA to assist and expedite the drying of the clothes, but also permits the entrance of rinsing fluid through said opening into the clothes within the container -5- if desired to subject them to a rins-4 ing operation. y

Operation When it is desired to use the machine for ing the closure -38- will first be fully opened after which the wet clothes are placed within the container -5- to any desired height or level within the length of said contva-incr after which the cover -8.- with the closure -38- thereon is returned and locked in its closed position thereby bringing the Iclosure -38- -into frictional 'engagement with t-he upper end of the container -5-.

The lever 49 is then operatedto close the motor switch -47- and to simultaneously disengage the brake disk -56- from its companion -55- against the action of the springs -58- thereby starting the motor and transmitting rotary motion to the container until practically all of the mois? ture is expelled therefrom by centrifugal force into the outer casing -3- which may be provided with any suitable drainage outlet, not shown, but commonly used in machines of this character.

After the short period of rotation of the container-- with the clothes therein sufficient for drying the lever -49- may be reversed to permit the opening of the motor switch 1 52- and simultaneously release the brake 'member -56- which is then forced axially into frictional engagement with its companion disk --55- bv means of the springs 58-, the latter being tensioned so as to produce a quick stopping of the motor and ing the container 5l-v.

parts driven thereby includ- When the rotating parts have ceased to revolve the lever -17- may be operated to release the cover -8- and allow it, together with the closure S8- to be opened to per- `nit the dried clothes to beremoved by hand from the container -5- ready for a repetition of the operation previously described.

Vhat I claim is i l. In a centrifugal clothes drying machine of the character described, an upright container for the clothes rotatable about a vertical axis and having an opening in its upper end for the passage of clothes therethrough, said container being of considerably less diameter than its vertical height to bring the center of the mass of clothes therein suiciently close to the axis thereof to reduce to a minimum the vibration incidental to the rotation of the container and at the same timeto maintain a relatively large capacity lby its relatively greater height, and means for rotating .said con-` tainer, said container having a free and unobstructed opening from bottom to top and Within the upright Walls thereof, and a closure movable into and out of rictional engagementvwith the upper end of thel container, said closure having a vertical opening surrounded by a vertical flange therethrough to permit the passage of air and rinsing fluid into the interior of the container when the closure is closed.

2. In a centrifugal clothes drying machine of the character described, a supporting frame having a top opening, a container rotatably supported Within the frame and axially of the top opening, a cover for the frame opening hinged to one edge of the frame, a cover for the container rotatably mounted upon the frame cover and movable into and out of frictional engagement with the open upper edge of the container, a gear casing on the frame cover and a motor drive and gear train inthe casing including'a shaft extending from the casing and through the frame and container covers, and an arm and lug connection between the lower end of the shaft and container cover.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand vthis 6th day of October, 1926.

PETER E. GELDHOF. 

